New Orlean Pelicans
The Washington Wizards will travel south to face the New Orlean Pelicans. The 22-26 Wizards are struggling this season and in tenth place in the Eastern Conference.
However, they could be in ninth place with a couple of wins in a row. The Pelicans are fourth in the Western Conference with a 26-23 record but have struggled since Zion Williamson went down with an injury.
They are a top team in the NBA when he is healthy, but without him, they look a little lost.
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The Wizards are coming off a 108-103 win against the Houston Rockets (their fourth win in a row). Washington was down by ten heading into the final quarter but outscored Houston by 15 in the final 12 minutes.
Kyle Kuzma led all scorers with 33 points and also had nine rebounds, one steal, and one block. Washington shot the ball worse than Houston overall but made seven more three-pointers than them.
The Pelicans lost their previous game to the Minnesota Timberwolves 111-102 (their sixth loss in a row). New Orleans led by six at halftime but was down by 12 at the end of the third quarter.
CJ McCollum led the Pelicans with 25 points, and Jonas Valanciunas and Brandon Ingram had 15 and 13 points, respectively. The Pelicans had turnover problems in this game and turned it over 14 times.
The Pelicans may be the favorites, but I would bet on the Wizards. They will be without Kristaps Porzingis, but the Pelicans will be without Zion Williamson.
The Williamson loss is quite significant to the Pelicans and has been a large reason for New Orlean’s six-game skid. In addition to the Pelicans’ skid, the Wizards have momentum from their four-game winning streak.
The Wizards’ momentum is not the only reason they will win. The Wizards appear to have a more well-rounded team than the Pelicans at this moment. Bradley Beal and Kyle Kuzma are having great seasons and will lead them to victory.
This is not to say the Pelicans do not have pieces outside of Zion (CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram are averaging over 20 points a game), but the loss of Williamson leaves them with less direction. Bet on Washington.
My Prediction: Wizards 110, Pelicans 102
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| Title: Washington Wizards vs New Orlean Pelicans betting preview
| Author: Max Heering
| Date: Jan 28, 2023